Arsenal return from the international break looking to stay top of the Premier League as they face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The Gunners went into the October break on a high after beating West Ham 2-0, a result that lifted them above Liverpool into first place.
Mikel Arteta's side have won their past four games in all competitions and continue to impress at both ends of the pitch, boasting the league's best defensive record and nine different goal-scorers so far this season.
Fulham, meanwhile, will look to draw inspiration from their 2-1 win over Arsenal at home last season. Marco Silva's men have been tough to beat at Craven Cottage this campaign, collecting seven points from three home games. However, consistency remains an issue after back-to-back away defeats before the break.
History leans Arsenal's way — the Gunners have scored in every league meeting with Fulham since 2008 — but Fulham's strong home form and memories of last year's triumph could make this a tricky test for the league leaders.
Expect a lively London derby under the Craven Cottage lights.
MORE: Arsenal injury list, return dates for stars including Odegaard
Fulham vs. Arsenal lineups: Predicted starting XI, team news, injury latest
Marco Silva faces a few injury headaches ahead of the London derby. Midfielder Sasa Lukic is set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a groin injury against Bournemouth, with reports suggesting he could be out for up to six weeks.
Samuel Chukwueze also picked up a knock while on international duty with Nigeria and remains a doubt. Striker Raul Jimenez is racing to recover from a hip problem, while Kenny Tete (knee) and Rodrigo Muniz (thigh) are both ruled out.
On a brighter note, former Arsenal men Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi are fit and could feature, along with goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Fulham predicted starting XI (3-4-2-1, right to left): Leno (GK) — Diop, Bassey, Andersen — Castagne, Berge, Cairney, Sessegnon — Wilson, Iwobi — King
Injured: Lukic (groin), Chukwueze (doubt), Jimenez (hip), Tete (knee), Muniz (thigh)
Suspended: None
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is expected to miss around a month with a knee injury sustained against West Ham, joining Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke on the sidelines.
Ben White also missed training on Thursday, raising concerns over his fitness, although Arteta did not think the problem to be serious. Piero Hincapie has returned to training after a groin issue and could make his Premier League debut from the bench.
Arteta may have to shuffle his midfield and defence once again as the Gunners aim to stay top of the table. Martin Zubimendi was described by his boss as having had a high work load of late, so he could start this game on the bench depending on how training goes on Friday.
Arsenal predicted starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori — Eze, Zubimendi, Rice — Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Injured: Odegaard (knee), Havertz (knee), Jesus (knee), Madueke (knee), White (fitness, doubt)
Suspended: None
Fulham vs. Arsenal match details
- Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
- Kickoff time: 5:30 p.m. local / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT
- Location: Craven Cottage, London (UK)
- Competition: Premier League matchweek eight
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
- VAR: Stuart Attwell
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